Irene slouched on the couch three months later, chewing away at popcorn as she focused on the TV screen in front of her, her eyes flickering to her phone that brightened up every five seconds with a message from her husband. She smiled.

From Captain Hottie 🥵👨‍✈️
How was the surgery? Are you home?

From Wifey 👰😍
Long, tiring and I'm at home, watching a movie...

From Captain Hottie 🥵👨‍✈️
Go to sleep Irene.

From Wifey 👰😍
It's a good movie tho

From Captain Hottie 🥵👨‍✈️
Get some rest wifey please...I got to go for that mission now but I'll message you after when I'm free.

From Wifey 👰😍
I will. Stay safe x give them hell Captain Hottie...
Shit I meant Wang.

From Captain Hottie 🥵👨‍✈️
Captain Hottie hey 😏😏😏 I like it, I'll get them... don't worry sexy legs...

Irene blushed. Rolling her eyes at his antics, her heart pounding restlessly against her chest.

From Wifey👰😍
🖕I thought you were leaving.

From Captain Hottie 🥵👨‍✈️
😂😂😂 awww, I know your blushing behind the screen Babygirl.

From Wifey 👰😍
Leave me alone right now Wang before I block you.

From Captain Hottie 🥵👨‍✈️
Geez woman...okay, is it that deep. I'll clearly have you begging for it soon enough.

From Wifey 👰😍
Gooooooooooooo

From Captain Hottie 🥵👨‍✈️
Alright alright, bye. Look after your health please.

From Wifey 👰😍
I will. Stay safe please xx

From Captain Hottie 🥵👨‍✈️
I will.

Irene locked her phone throwing it to one side, her cheeks blushing as she returned to the movie. She looked down laughing, gosh he had her fucked up, she never would smile to the floor because of a guy yet here she was smiling because of Jackson Wang. These months had been good, full of messages, phone calls, and lots of laughter. They established this silent routine that was beautiful, a connection so pure and great that they both felt full on each other's companionship. These three months had been hard for her without him home. She found herself calling out his name whenever she would come home after a long shift accidentally. She changed her room to his. She didn't care, she needed something to calm her forever restless heart, she would wear his T-shirts around the house and would sleep in his room just to feel at peace for a little longer. He made sure to check in on her as much as he could, but he felt it as much as she did, the constant separation made their hearts grow fonder in pain.

Irene had sat on the sofa wrapped in a blanket four hours later, on to the next movie in the franchise as she waited in anticipation to know how successful his mission had gone. She had been doing this since he had left, it wasn't good for her, but she always got this sickening feeling in her stomach that kept her awake. Her phone sounded moments later with his messages.

Captain Hottie 🥵👨‍✈️
I'm back wifey...go to sleep I can feel your still awake, Captain Hottie is safe and uninjured so go to sleep.

Wifey 👰😍
🖕🖕🖕 I thought I told you to drop that. Also are you a sleep detector or something, how did you even know that?

Captain Hottie 🥵👨‍✈️
😂😂😂 I'm never letting you live that down and yes I am. I'm multi talented you see.

Wifey 👰😍
Well take that multi talent and shove it up your ass I'm going to sleep.

Captain Hottie 🥵👨‍✈️
Finally. Goodnight Babygirl xx

Wifey👰😍
Goodnight husband xx

Jackson smiled at his screen locking it as the nurse continued to dress his wound. Yes he had lied. He had gotten scrapped by bullet but it wasn't too bad. He knew how she worried about his safety, Wendy had told him once when he messaged to ask her about Irene's health noticing that she hadn't responded to him for two days. The other girl had told him that she was worried about him to the point she had skipped meals and hadn't slept resulting in her fainting from pure exhaustion, it had taken the chief of his division to stop him from rushing to her side, his heart receiving some relief when she responded to him. He told her everyday religiously from then onwards to look after her health like a mantra on repeat, and for the better part of it she did. Most of the time. He winced slightly as he stood up, his hand shooting to his side as he passed the nurse a pain filled smile. He left moments later, his body crashing down to his sofa moments later. He heard the shuffling of feet, his eyes opening as Mark leaned on the couch. "Hey Man." Jackson nodded in acknowledgment, "We are heading back home tomorrow right?" "Yeah Mark just for a day, it's a quick trip home that was what chief Park agreed to." Mark smiled. "Your desperate to see her." Jackson moved his arm that was leaning on his face to shield it from the light. "Yeah I am. She's my wife I'm entitled to miss her." Mark squeezes his shoulder chuckling slightly, "Whatever you say lover boy." Mark walked off missing the smile that Jackson wore as he did. He closed his eyes settling into the comforts of the couch, as Mark switched off the lights. He was going home to her.

         //////////////////////////////////////////////

Irene had been rushing around the hospital for the past three hours continuously. She had been walking back and forth for ages her feet aching as she rubbed her head in attempts to gain some form of relaxation whilst she could. She leaned against the wall, taking the stethoscope away from her neck as she did. She sighed rubbing her neck. Why did she think this was better than being in the army, she huffed in utter annoyance as three more casualties where rushed in, her and Wendy met in the middle instantly sharing that knowing look that this was going to be one of those shifts. She went right whilst Wendy went left with a shake of her head. Machines beeping erratically as she quickly assessed the current patient, her eyes tearing out of exhaustion. She looked at Yeri, who was her extra pair of hands and eyes, together navigating the source of their problems. Irene took a scalpel in her hands fishing out for a bullet. The incision not being big enough meant that Irene had to force the wound open as Yeri now successfully retrieved three bullets. She placed them on the side her head shooting up to meet Irene's looking for guidance on what to do next. She begun to work on stabilising the patient showing Yeri exactly the right techniques and letting her have a go. Within fifteen minutes they had him stabilised and were now working on closing the wound. Irene and Yeri were chatting slightly as they stitched up last of the wound, Irene's eyes holding warmth directed for the younger girls who looked at her with admiration. The nurses came to wheel the patient to a room, as Irene removed the surgical mask from her face disposing of that and her gloves after. She crossed the room squeezing Yeri's shoulder. "You have done amazing today Yeri..." Yeri smiled up at her as Irene left the room, her hand rubbing her collar bone as she did, her tired eyes widened as she heard shouts coming from the main desk. Her feet began to pick up momentum as she went to check out the scene her eyes further widening in recognition of her other patient standing in front of what looked liked the abusive husband that she had spoken about. Irene rushed forth shrugging the concerned hand of Suelgi who attempted to pull her back. Irene backed the lady up trying to calm down the now furious man who was shouting at the top of his lungs. Irene winced as the man attempted to walk past her to his wife. Irene turned him back round to face her, as she tried to talk some sense into him. She caught from the corner of her eye, Wendy dialling for security, her eyes peeled on the scene but Irene's eyes had caught something else, the young woman managed to find a weapon that she was now directing towards her husband in lightening speed. Her eyes widened as she pushed the man to the side, the blade slicing her neck. The hospital fell to silence as Jackson entered, a smile on his face which quickly fell when he noticed the atmosphere, his eyes flashed to Irene's form who held her neck tightly, her eyes watering. His eye brows furrowed as he tried to work out what was happening. He watched as she removed her hand, the red liquid flowing down, as her eyes rolled backwards, her hands shaking as she fell. He ran forward catching her before crashing to the floor. He placed his hand on the wound as she looked up at him. "Irene!" He called out. Her eyes seemingly opened at the sound of her name from his lips, her hand going up to touch his face, her eyes registering the tear that fell from his eyes as he held her tight looking at her. She could hear Mark in the back screaming for help as the rest of the girls went into a frenzy. She offered him a smile. "Your back." She whispered, her voice hoarse as he laughed slightly choking on his sob as he held her closer. "Yeah I'm right here Babygirl." He reassured her, watching as her hand fell to her side, her eyes closing. He did not waste a second in picking her up and running to the room he had seen her run to on numerous occasions. His heart thudded violently against his chest as he laid her down on the hospital bed, doctors rushing in to work on her as he was shoved back. He felt himself being tugged back, her hand holding his, her eyes opening as they propped her up slightly to work on the wound. She offered him a smile as he looked at their hands, his covered in her blood, hers layered in her own. He looked up at her, his heart clenching in pain, as his eyes remained transfixed to her form. They had gotten lucky. So goddamn lucky that it wasn't worse. A nurse pulled up a stool for him, as he sat down his hand never leaving hers as she turned to him to allow the doctor sufficient space to work. She looked at him, gulping slightly as she held his hand tightly. He shuffled forward, his free hand brushing away the water that slipped from her eyes, before going to hold it along side the other. Their eyes remained locked as he winced with her during the pain, his heart aching at every concealment of  pain. Twenty minutes later it was done, Irene not waiting a second to stand. The blood rushing to her head, causing her to sway left. His hand easily caught her lowering her back to the bed. "Rest." He said firmly, watching the stance as she prepared to argue. His eye stood firm, intimidating her until she backed down swinging her legs back up and pulling the blanket around her shoulders, her head falling to the side as she avoided him. She could feel it radiating of him, the anger, the worry. She looked to the side hearing him sigh in utter defeat to her stupidity. "Irene-" he called out. She refused to turn. She heard him take a sharp intake of breath. "Babygirl please." She closed her eyes at the name. What had started off as a joke, as subtle teasing had the ability to make her heart flutter like no other. He moved around in front of her hoping her eyes would saunter up to meet his. She looked past, as Jackson's head dropped, lowering in defeat. She watched from the corner of her eye, her resolve falling as she jumped into his arms, his own wrapping tightly around her waist as she fisted his shirt. "Your crazy. Completely and utterly mad Irene." She winced. "Your not invincible, you can't take everything and anything and just bounce back. Your human." She looked down detaching her arms from his form as he continued. "Your life isn't a game. Why can't you understand that." She laughed, the bitterness, the coldness hurting him. "Why do you care? It's my life, I can chose to gamble it the way I wish, let's be real even if something was to happen to me you wouldn't think twice about replacing me with your whore and that's the truth." Her gaze was sharp, but she failed to recognise the way his recoiled from her words. That had hurt. He didn't know what to say next, he didn't know how to say what he wanted to say for these past few weeks. Everything they seemed to have built fell apart within an instant, a couple of words and wrong actions had planted a seed of doubt in her mind, the magnitude of it he had dismissed and now he could blatantly see the side effects of it. Five months they had been married for yet in the hindsight of things the strain they had made it feel like five years. He watched as she turned to her side, his mind wandering back to the time when Wendy had told him there was a lot he was unaware off. He turned to her again, his patience running thin, yet he chose to maintain his composure. "Get some rest irene...I'm leaving, this was only meant to be a quick trip. Bye Babygirl." He whispered. He watched her laugh bitterly again at his words. "Always leaving never staying." She retorted, his hand tightened against the bar of the bed, as he turned to leave, his eyes turning to catch the silvery liquid that fell from her eyes as she attempted to hide. He sighed walking out to seek Wendy. "What's happened?" He asked rather abruptly noticing the way Wendy's eyes tensed. "Wendy I need answers." "She's slipped back into her depression, I'm not sure what triggered it and how, but she's been like this for the past couple of weeks. No one noticed it because she hid it well. She seemed happy and suddenly it changed like a light switch. Jackson I know you want answers but I don't have them myself, maybe the whole ordeal with Jin finally has caught up with her and she's struggling to process it? Or it could be the relationship between the two of you? The point is at this moment in time I don't know. I'll keep an eye on her, we all will, but you need to start being a better husband." "Wendy I'm trying. I have been for the past couple of months, and I thought we had made progress-" "Jack I know. We all thought the same. But we are back to square one so you need to decide whether you are able to start this again or if your going to quit." She watched something flicker in her eyes as his lowered gaze met his, his eyes full of determination. "I never leave a man behind. I will not leave her either. If we have to start from scratch fine, I will do that 100 times if I have to but I'm not letting her down. Not again." Wendy smiled. "That's all she needs." She squeezes his shoulder offering him a tight smile as she returned to do her job, Jackson standing in front of her room again, his fists clenching and unclenching as he watched her, his heart restlessly beating as he did. He would fight for her. He had to. He owed her that much.

TBC

Authors note:
Hey hope you like this one. Let me know what you think about this in the comment section below. Lots of love and best wishes to you all.